0crits0fails0kills
DM10
Player Summary
The party hits town with 12 zombie/ogre fingers and walks out 575g richer. Sister Helwin of the Dawn Chapel drops a 700-year-old lore bomb on Caelum, the lich is Mexoz Valaryn, born under a blood-red comet in the empire of Serath-Kul, exiled for soul experimentation, and the necromantic text he used (The Ebon Gospel) is missing its final pages. Shirley upgrades to splint mail. Kimber tries to sell a pyramid scheme to a blacksmith, fails, then traumatizes the blacksmith’s three children for sport in revenge (“Santa’s not real. Bye!”). Orion, silent all session, promptly walks out and reports her to the city guard. Idril keeps it together and reads the tome alongside Caelum. Oggy/Augie supports the gold negotiation and the band defenestration. Caelum reads the tome all night and gains 1 level of exhaustion. Zero combat. Maximum chaos.
Session Timeline
- Post-retreat planning - Discussion of crown destruction, lich hunt, Kimber’s recovery
- First chapel visit (evening) - Party brings 11 zombie fingers + 1 ogre finger to Sister Helwin
- 650g bounty paid - 550g (zombies) + 100g (ogre). Frost giant zombie bounty offered at 200g.
- Phylactery rule established - Lich bounty requires the phylactery as proof
- Mexoz name confirmed - Spelled M-E-X-O-Z. Helwin agrees to research overnight.
- Long rest at the inn (interrupted) - DM rolls a nat 20 on random event → rowdy band downstairs
- The Band Incident - Shirley sneaks down (stealth 24), drops Mysterious Unlabeled Potion. d6 = 5. All 4 band members + 1 fan grow a third arm.
- Long rest completes - Kimber down to 2 levels of exhaustion
- Morning split - Caelum + Idril stay to study the tome; Shirley + Kimber + Augie go shopping
- Sister Helwin presents the Mexoz Valaryn tome - The lore bomb drops
- The Mexoz Valaryn backstory - Born under a blood-red comet in Serath-Kul, expelled for catacomb experiments, 40-year Black Pilgrimage, found The Ebon Gospel fragments, final pages missing
- Caelum’s history check fails - Rolled 3 and 5 at disadvantage. Amnesia gas. Knows nothing about Serath-Kul.
- Shopping at the Adventurers Emporium - Owned by Maeve Sanchez
- Shirley buys splint mail - 185g studded leather trade-in + 75g party gold = 260g. AC 15 → 17.
- Kimber tries the Jubilee crossbow pitch - Pyramid scheme persuasion 2 + 13 = 15. Maeve unimpressed. No discount.
- Kimber threatens Maeve’s family - Investigation 13 to find Maeve’s house
- The Children Scene - William and siblings. Persuasion 18 → convinces them their mother lies. “Santa’s not real. Bye!” Door slammed.
- Orion’s Vengeance - Walks out, finds a guard (investigation 13 at advantage), files harassment + stalking charges against Kimber
- The Vengeance Kit - Maeve’s competitor blacksmith gifts Kimber gasoline, flare, lighter, Roman candles + 10% off
- Caelum reads all night - Refuses sleep, finishes the tome, gains 1 exhaustion. Confirms Part 1.
- Morning at the bar - Hero’s Feast denied, party assembles
- Plan locked - Next session: return to the cemetery mausoleum where Mexoz first appeared
Encounters
| # | Enemies | Location | Outcome | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rowdy 4-piece band + 1 superfan | The inn’s main floor | Non-lethal stunt. All 5 grew a third arm via Mysterious Unlabeled Potion. | DM rolled a nat 20 on the random event check. Shirley stealth 24. d6 hit count = 5. |
Combat Summary
- Total Rounds: 0 (no actual combat this session)
Party Status (Post-Session)
| Character | Condition | Resources Used |
|---|---|---|
| Caelum | Exhaustion +1 (all-night reading) | None |
| Idril | Fine | None |
| Shirley | Fine, new splint mail (AC 17) | 1× Mysterious Unlabeled Potion |
| Oggtok (Augie) | Fine | None |
| Kimber | Exhaustion 2 (down from 3) | None |
| Orion | Fine | None |
Key Decisions
- Split the party for the day: Caelum/Idril stay to study; Shirley/Kimber/Augie go shopping
- Caelum studies the tome through the night: Refuses sleep, accepts exhaustion penalty
- Kimber pivots from pyramid scheme to terror campaign: When the sale fails, she escalates to threatening Maeve’s family
- Orion reports Kimber to the city guard: In-party betrayal driven by Paladin of Vengeance ethics
- Kimber accepts the Vengeance Kit from Maeve’s competitor: Future arson possibility now armed
Quests & Progress
Zombie Bounties (PARTIALLY RESOLVED + ONGOING)
- 650g collected from Sister Helwin (550g + 100g ogre)
- Phylactery rule established for lich bounty
- Frost giant zombie + ogre zombie still alive at cemetery
The Moonstone Crown (NEW LORE)
- Mexoz Valaryn’s full backstory revealed
- The Ebon Gospel’s missing final pages, possible Mexoz intercept point
- Mexoz tome Part 2 still unfound
- Party plan: return to the mausoleum next session
New Sub-Quest: Research Mexoz Valaryn
- Part 1 of the tome read by Caelum (gained 1 exhaustion)
- Part 2 location unknown
New Side Quest: Kimber’s Crossbow Heist
- The Jubilee Hand Crossbow at the Adventurers Emporium. 650g. Kimber’s personal mission.
Unresolved Threads
- The Ebon Gospel’s missing final pages: Is Mexoz still hunting them?
- Mexoz Tome Part 2: Where?
- Sister Helwin’s connection to Mexoz: Suspiciously prepared with the tome
- The Children’s Tears: Will the kids identify Kimber later? Dad is a city supervisor.
- Kimber’s Vendetta: Will she torch the Adventurers Emporium?
Reminders for Next Session
- Return to the cemetery mausoleum
- Caelum has +1 exhaustion
- Kimber at 2 levels exhaustion
- Shirley in splint mail (AC 17)
- Sister Helwin may have more research
- City guard alerted about Kimber
Loot & Gold
- Gold gained: +650g (bounty), -75g (splint mail) = +575g net
- Items gained:
- Shirley’s Splint Mail (AC 17, disadvantage on stealth)
- Kimber’s Vengeance Kit (gasoline, flare, lighter, Roman candles + 10% off)
- Mexoz Valaryn Tome Part 1 (Caelum, full contents shared via Discord)
- Items used: 1× Mysterious Unlabeled Potion (Shirley, on the band)
- Items traded out: Shirley’s enchanted studded leather (185g credit)